Englishman Ginger Ted is a "dissolute beachcomber" living in a tropical Dutch colonial possession somewhere in the Indian Ocean.
When a ship makes its monthly visit, Ted has to outrun a mob of creditors to obtain his remittance cheque from the Controleur, the colonial governor.
He is sentenced to three months on the road gang, but that does not satisfy the puritanical pair of Martha Jones and her missionary brother.
They want him deported, but Ginger is the Controleur's only real local friend, so he sends him to alcohol-free Agor Island to try to reform him.
When Martha insists on going to another island to attend to a medical emergency, the Controleur sends his sergeant along as an escort, with secret orders to pick up Ginger on the way back.
Pauline Kael gave the film a very positive review, calling it a "charming, neglected romantic comedy" in which both Laughton and Lanchester are "wonderful".